Blues at Predators
Trailing with less than 17 minutes to play and staring at the possibility of a 2-0 series deficit on their home ice, the St. Louis Blues were rescued by their resident superstar. Vladimir Tarasenko scored twice as St. Louis rallied for a 3-2 victory to level the Western Conference semifinals heading into Sunday's Game 3 at the Nashville Predators.
Tarasenko netted his second goal of the game with just under four minutes to play to break a 2-2 deadlock as the Blues handed eighth-seeded Nashville its first defeat in six postseason games. "We lost the first game, we couldn't lose this one," said Tarasenko, who also connected on the power play earlier in the contest. The Predators, who swept top-seeded Chicago in the first round, surrendered three goals for the second straight game after limiting the Blackhawks to three for the entire series. "Good situation, 1-1," Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne told reporters after the loss. "It's a series. Obviously going home now and a huge game at home on Sunday. It's going to be a big one, but yeah we're in a good situation."
TV: 3 p.m. ET, NBC, Sportsnet, TVAS
ABOUT THE BLUES: Tarasenko, who pumped in a team-high 39 goals this season after scoring 40 in 2015-16, had been limited to one tally and three points before breaking loose in Game 2. "What he's done in the playoffs speaks for itself," St. Louis coach Mike Yeo said of the Russian standout. "If you want to look up the stats and what he's done speaks for itself. ... It’s not like he’s been playing poorly.” Goaltender Jake Allen also stood tall when it mattered most, making 14 saves in the final 20 minutes after facing only nine shots in the first two periods.
ABOUT THE PREDATORS: Despite its inability to hold the third-period lead and the fact that Nashville put St. Louis on the power play five times without having one of its own in Game 2, a bright spot was provided by forward James Neal. A 31-goal scorer for the Predators last season, Neal ended a 10-game goal drought with his first of the postseason after tallying four times in each of the previous two seasons. The Predators' blue-line corps continues to provide production, with Ryan Ellis following up P.K. Subban's three-point game with a goal and assist on Friday.
OVERTIME
1. The Blues are 2-for-21 on the power play in seven postseason games.
2. Predators C Ryan Johansen, who had a five-game point streak halted Friday, had two goals and two assists in five regular-season meetings versus the Blues.
3. The starting time for Game 5 on May 5 in St. Louis is 8 p.m. ET.